A musical experience during the Christmas season to lose yourself in and be swept away by
Olivier Messiaen composed his longest and most significant work to date, *Vingt Regards sur l’enfant-Jésus*, during the summer of 1944 in occupied Paris. The work is a series of reflections on various aspects of the story of Jesus’ birth, but can also be seen as an ideal introduction to Messiaen’s wondrous musical universe, with its mysterious harmonies, sparkling cascades of notes, and long passages inspired by birdsong. Vingt Regards was premiered by the then 20-year-old Yvonne Loriod, who would become Messiaen’s most important interpreter and later also his life partner, and one can clearly see how the work’s immensely virtuosic piano part was inspired by Loriod’s boundless pianistic skills.
Jonas Olsson – Norrlandsoperan’s in-house pianist
Jonas Olsson has a long and close relationship with Messiaen’s music—among other things, he studied with Pierre-Laurent Aimard, a student of Yvonne Loriod and one of the world’s foremost interpreters of Messiaen. When the Lucerne Festival celebrated Messiaen’s 100th anniversary in 2008, Jonas was the soloist in the grand piano concerto *Des canyons aux étoiles*. Jonas has previously performed Messiaen’s works *Quartet for the End of Time* and *Visions de l’Amen* for two pianos for audiences in Umeå.
Introduction with Dan Turdén and pianist Jonas Olsson.
Cast and Program
Cast
Soloist
Jonas Olsson, piano
Program
Olivier Messiaen: Twenty Meditations on the Infant Jesus (original title: Vingt Regards sur l’enfant-Jésus)
1. Regard du Père (“Contemplation of the Father”)
2. Regard de l’étoile (“Contemplation of the Star”)
3. L’échange (“The Exchange”)
4. Regard de la Vierge (“Contemplation of the Virgin”)
5. Regard du Fils sur le Fils (“Contemplation of the Son upon the Son”)
6. Par Lui tout a été fait (“Through Him everything was made”)
7. Regard de la Croix (“Contemplation of the Cross”)
8. Regard des hauteurs (“Contemplation of the heights”)
9. Regard du temps (“Contemplation of time”)
10. Regard de l’Esprit de joie (“Contemplation of the Joyful Spirit”)
Intermission, 30 min
11. Première communion de la Vierge (“The Virgin’s First Communion”)
12. La parole toute-puissante ( “The All-Powerful Word”)
13. Noël (“Christmas”)
14. Regard des Anges (“Contemplation of the Angels”)
15. Le baiser de l’Enfant-Jésus (“The Kiss of the Infant Jesus”)
16. Regard des prophètes, des bergers et des Mages (“Contemplation of the prophets, the shepherds, and the Magi”)
17. Regard du silence (“Contemplation of silence”)
18. Regard de l’Onction terrible (“Contemplation of the Awesome Anointing”)
19. Je dors, mais mon cœur veille (“I Sleep, but My Heart Keeps Watch”)
20. Regard de l’Eglise d’amour (“Contemplation of the Church of Love”)
Before Your Visit
To make your visit to the Norrlandsoperan even more enjoyable, you can pre-order a selection of snacks, pastries, coffee, soft drinks, wine, sparkling wine, and beer for intermission. By pre-ordering, you’ll avoid lines and secure a reserved table in the lobby.
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